the eldest
noun
—used in comparing the ages of people who are members of the same family
He's the eldest of her three brothers.
Examples of the eldest in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the seventh inning, Brady, the eldest of Craig’s four children, entered the game at third base.
—
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The series debuted in 2020 with the passionate love story between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter and fourth child of the illustrious Bridgerton family in Regency-era England, and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The victim was born and raised on Long Island as the eldest of four siblings, including her two brothers and younger sister, her aunt said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Authorities have announced the cause of death for Katherine Short, the eldest child of comedian Martin Short.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the eldest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The series debuted in 2020 with the passionate love story between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter and fourth child of the illustrious Bridgerton family in Regency-era England, and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The victim was born and raised on Long Island as the eldest of four siblings, including her two brothers and younger sister, her aunt said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Authorities have announced the cause of death for Katherine Short, the eldest child of comedian Martin Short.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the eldest
Cite this Entry
“The eldest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20eldest. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
